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Friday, 18 May 2018

Multiverse 101: Who Is Batwoman?

Yesterday at the 2018 Upfronts, Arrow star Stephen Amell shocked fans by revealing that the next DC TV crossover event would officially introduce Batwoman and the city of Gotham to the Arrowverse. So, ahead of the mega TV event next season, we thought it was the right time to take another trip across the Multiverse to peer under the cowl and ask just who is Batwoman?

The character of Kate Kane was first introduced in the pages of 52 #7 back in 2006. A young girl with a long history of overachievement, she was an exemplary pupil at the United States Military Academy who easily made it to the top of her class - until she was expelled for being gay.

Frustrated and angry, Kate would end up losing direction and became caught up with late nights and partying. She would eventually end up moving to Gotham City, where she would find herself pulled over for speeding by a young Renee Montoya. The pair would date for several months before breaking up following a fight where Kate berates Renee for keeping her sexuality hidden.

Later on, while attempting to call Renee and apologize for her behavior, Kate is attacked by a mugger who wants her wallet and cell phone. Kate uses her military training to subdue her attacker just as Batman arrives and helps her off the ground. Inspired by her encounter with the Caped Crusader, Kate begins fighting crime using military body armor and weaponry stolen from her father's military base. Upon being confronted by him, Kate accepts his offer for assistance and begins an intense two years of training across the globe with some of his military friends.

Upon returning to Gotham, Kate would be presented with a new Batsuit created by her father.

She is also equipped with an arsenal of experimental weaponry based on Batman's known gadgetry and operates out of a bunker hidden in the Kane home. As the Batwoman, Kate uses her new equipment to battle crime in Gotham City.

She'd work closely alongside Renee Montoya and her partner the Question before becoming a member of the Bat Family and an ally to the Dark Knight. Her special operative training and deep sense of discipline would make Kate one of Batman's greatest allies, however she would also share his self-destructive tendencies when it came to personal relationships.

However, despite this, Kate would always put the mission first.

During the events of The New 52 reboot back in 2011, Batwoman would appear as a member of an all-female team of heroes created by Wonder Woman to repel a faux-alien invasion of Washington DC orchestrated by the villainous Professor Ivo.

Six years later, following the beginning of DC Rebirth, Batman would recruit Kate to help run a boot camp for young heroes, consisting of Red Robin, Orphan, Spoiler, and Clayface. The group would work under Batman in protecting Gotham from numerous threats, with Kate acting as the Caped Crusader's co-lead in carrying out multiple missions across the city.

An interesting character to be sure, and a welcome addition to the Arrowverse next season.

We're quite eager to see how the powers that be behind the DC TV Universe approach the introduction of Kate Kane into this sprawling world - and what her inclusion could possibly mean for the future of the DC TV Universe as a whole!

We hope you've enjoyed this brief glimpse into the world of Batwoman. Hopefully it'll clear up some of the mystery surrounding the newest addition to the small screen DC Universe.